Nikon 1 V3 Hodgepodge | Cardinal Cardinals cheer us up during the cold winter months with their brilliant colors. Cardinals don’t migrate and they don’t molt into a dull plumage, so they stay breathtakingly beautiful against winter’s snow.
Quick Facts…
| Male Cardinal … brilliant red all over, with a reddish bill, and black face mask. | |
| Habitat | Woodland edges in thickets and bushes. Inhabited areas like backyards and parks. |
| Range | Year around in Northern Illinois |
| Nest | Well hidden in dense shrubs, vines, or low trees. |
| Diet | Varied diet of mostly seeds and berries as well as many insects like beetles, grasshoppers, etc. |
| Behavior | Sits low in shrubs & trees. Forages on or near the ground and bird feeders. Travel in pairs. |
| Size | Length: 8.3-9.1 in | Weight: 1.5-1.7 oz | Wingspan: 9.8-12.2 in |
The Back Story Small birds like this Cardinal can be challenging to capture even with a long, fast lens. The Nikon 1 V3 with the 70-300mm lens allows for a 810mm effective focal length. It’s a long, not so fast lens at f5.6, but a very sharp lens. Still, it takes some practice to get a tack sharp image shooting handheld. Northern Cardinals tend to sit low in shrubs and trees or forage on or near the ground, often in pairs. This image was a simple click through the window at the kitchen table. For more information and images, see Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | a 7 Image Story. Note: I post an image everyday at hankconrad.com.
Details…
| Event | Lunchtime Photo |
| Location | Backyard |
| Date/Time | 2/01/2019 11:37am Local Time |
| Weather | Partly Cloudy | 14°F | Light Winds |
| Method | Simple click out the window. |
| Gear | Nikon 1 V3 with a Nikon FT-1 Adapter & Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR lens |
| Exposure | 300mm (810mm) f/5.6 1/2000s -0.33ev 1000iso |
| Post | Sharpened eyes and added a little definition. |
